Binary Fusion
by Disturbed Turtle
Summary: Ultimecia can junction other beings, like Griever, to increase her strength. But what would happen if she junctioned the strongest being known in the universe…Jenova? Join our heroes as they stumble upon each other and the plan that is sought for all worlds domination. AU, AR, and slight OOC. Not yaoi. Rated for language and some violent content. *Temporary Hiatus*
1. Worst Case Senario

Disclaimer: I do not now or before and most likely not in the future, own Final Fantasy, Square Enix or any of the characters.

A/N: This is a crossover of FFVIII and FFVII and it starts out in the FFVIII world. I don't know about how or why I started writing this, but it just came to me the other day and so I had to get it out of my brain. Please let me know what you think, whether I should continue this story.

Reviews, critiques, and flames are welcome. I absolutely love all reviews about the story as it gives me motivation, I utilize good constructive criticism to help my writing and I feed the flames to the fires of my imagination!

Thanks to my wonderful beta **SubZeroChimera**!

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><p>"Heed the still small voice that so seldom leads us wrong, and never into folly." -Marquise du Deffand<p>

**Binary Fusion**

Chapter 1  
>~Worst Case Scenario~<p>

Squall's breath stuck in his throat as he lowered his office phone's handset back to the cradle; his heart raced as quickly as his thoughts did. Under his breath he muttered his distaste of the new situation that presented itself, "How could this happen?"

Since the defeat of Ultimecia ten years ago, they all had gone their separate ways, but still maintained contact with each other, getting together once a year for small reunions. It was during those infrequent meetings that Squall began to welcome the friendly physical contact that his comrades-in-arms so eagerly showered him with.

Irvine, with his boisterous personality and fun-loving jabs at Squall's arms and ribs, told his terrible jokes and made the inappropriate innuendos that he was well-known for. It was in those moments, that the SeeD Commander's sore bones began to miss the prods, days after they went back to their daily lives. Squall's muscle memory, the tender flesh of his torso jerking away from being met by the cowboy's boney elbows, told the Commander that he missed his friend more than he would ever let the sniper know. For the last couple of years now, the marksman now enjoyed his position at the Galbadian Garden as the sniper instructor.

Rising from his desk he held his hands, suddenly sweaty, palms down on the cool wood, Squall swallowed a hard lump of uncertainty. Closing his eyes tightly, he squeezed down the threatening emotional outburst.

Quistis, her over-protective mothering, was always received as annoying by him. Always keeping her at arm's length, he fought her every time she tried to fawn on him as though he was her little brother. She was always asking if he was eating well, keeping up with his exercises, or getting enough sleep. As always, he would roll his eyes with a sigh and answer her inquiries with utter disinterest. Squall could see her inner fight to keep from smacking him upside his head in frustration, but being the one always in control of her emotions, she refrained. For that, he was glad, he wouldn't welcome the headache it would have caused. Quistis's status of the mayor of Dollet was hard-earned, and she made it possible to create the special programs that the people needed to rebuild after the war.

Circling the desk, Squall's toe met with the foot of the large wooden antique. Catching himself, he straightened and adjusted his SeeD uniform, crooking his neck to fix the collar, he exaggerated his movements in disgruntlement, covering his rising feelings of the unknown.

Selphie's ability to bring out the best in anyone, her nature of selflessness had always held her a special place in Squall's heart, just like a little sister. Her eyes eternally held innocence, joyful and playful, so it came as no surprise when she settled down and married a fellow SeeD from Trabia, Evan. Together, they welcomed two little girls, whose inner lights were as bright as their mother's internally blazing sunshine. She was happy to be a mother and help run the newly rebuilt Trabia Garden's committee of festivals and extra-curricular activities.

The SeeD Commander's long strides took him swiftly down the hall and into the elevator. Pushing the button to the ground floor, Squall leaned against the side and listened to the whirr of the cables running through the wheels that smoothly moved the car down. Again, closing his eyes, he thought of his first real friend here in Balamb Garden.

Zell, as most people described him as the hot-head, had always blatantly kept himself in the forefront of Squall's life as the Commander. Zell was the second-in-command here at Balamb Garden, but lived in town with his wife of almost three years, Elizabeth the police commissioner's daughter. With a baby on the way, Zell's energetic disposition promised an equally energetic little boy due next month. Zell always had a way with Squall, keeping him on his toes. If there was one thing that Squall didn't worry about around Zell, was that the martial artist always had his back, never did he wonder if anyone would sneak up on him in battle. Whatever discipline or rule that the Commander had to enforce, he knew that when it came down to it, Zell didn't question his orders, didn't refuse an assignment and didn't allow anyone to challenge Squall's authority.

That night, they were having their annual reunion, and Squall was hosting the weekend this year, here at Balamb Garden, but now, things had changed. Pushing his way through the infirmary doors, his thoughts went to his own wife.

Rinoa and her fierce determination always led to him making better decisions in his personal life. The way her eyes sparkled with fascination at his inability to make the connection of another's own personality quirks. For years, she was patient, for years she stayed by his side; through everything that happened between them, she was his constant, until he couldn't give her what she wanted, what she longed for more than anything anymore, children. Everyone else was able to move on, make a life, but something happened to Squall, before the final battle with Ultimecia, and after. Something in his heart tore; broke open at the thought of the fleeting concept of life and what it meant to be a family.

Despite his inability to want to have children, he committed himself fully to her and they were in the process of moving on, to the next part of their lives. She was visiting her father in Galbadia and should be on her way back.

Doctor Kadowaki stood with files in her hands, visibly shaken.

Standing in front of the doctor, they both were silent for several moments. Neither one wanted to speak first, but Squall decided to break the silence first, "Where-?"

In a quiet voice, she urged her tone to stay steady, "-Squall."

Squall's steal grey eyes narrowed and he lowly asked, "Where are they?"

Stepping aside, the doctor silently nodded in the direction of the back room. His footsteps echoed in the short hallway and bounced around off the walls and back to his ears, but he didn't hear anything but the blood flashing past his ear drums and the inner turmoil of his mind screaming at him. A simple fabric curtain separated him from his friends:

It was clear that Zell had been ambushed, the bruises littered his face as trickles of blood had dried at the corners of his mouth and clotted around his nose. Eyes swollen shut, the knuckles on his hands were broken, fleshy pulp; the beating he received included them smashing his hands and breaking his ankles. The voice behind him stated what was obvious, "He has a fractured skull, broken jaw, eleven broken ribs, his left arm is broken, both knees are dislocated, all the bones in his hands and feet are shattered; manner of death, blunt force trauma."

He didn't allow Doctor Kadowaki's words to sink in before his eyes traveled over to Selphie. Her slightly bloated body had a purplish hue from the poison that had been administered. Her jaw was rigid making her lips purse as if she was blowing a kiss, her eyes hung half-open and stared blankly at the opposite wall where Quistis lay. Dark ligature marks on the former instructor's neck showed a struggle as she had been hung. In one of the bright red scratch marks above the ligature marks, one of her nails had ripped from her nail bed, lodging it into the soft pale skin of her neck.

Next to Quistis, lay Irvine. At first glance, it wasn't clear what killed him, then the bright crimson trickled, still fresh. The gunshot wound was above his temple, within his hairline and the exit wound was on the other side of his head; thankfully, Squall was unable to see that part very well.

In a tone that he pulled from his experience as a Commander, he firmly asked the attending SeeD, "Where are Evan and Selphie's girls? Where is Elizabeth?" A singular thought raced through his mind, "Where is Rinoa?!"

"Unknown Sir."

Snapping his eyes to the young SeeD, he growled, "What do you mean, unknown? They always travel with their families."

"There was no one else found near, or with the bodies sir."

Hanging his head, Squall fought the overwhelming urge to strike out, to hit the body of his second-in-command for getting killed. Swallowing down a swelling of bile in his throat, he bit back his seething remark, and said as calmly as he could, "Find them."

"_Commander Squall, you have an urgent phone call on line 3!"_

The screeching of the microphone on the loud-speaker hanging up sent Squall into a tailspin. Rushing to the phone at the doctor's desk, he picked up the receiver and spit out, "This is Commander Squall Leonheart of Balamb Garden."

"_Hello Squall_."

Squall could see her in his mind, see the way her lips moved as they gently swished across her white and perfect teeth as she spoke the sweet sounding words that he took as the venom that was intended. This was not the Rinoa that he fell in love with, the woman that he spent the better part of his life with, it was just a shell now and _her_ voice funneled through his wife. Gritting his teeth, he inhaled and signaled for a pen to write with.

Getting a writing utensil shoved in his hand, he pulled a full medical file folder across the desk and feverishly scribbled to a SeeD cadet that stood near the entrance; _Run a trace_. Taking off down through the door with his orders, the SeeD cadet left for the security office right next door.

Squall exhaled angrily, "Ultimecia."

"_You remember? I'm flattered." _

The sound of a girlish giggle sent a rage of emotion surge through Squall. His fist reached up and smashed into the desk top, with a crack, the sound of bone breaking brought the doctor's attention but he waved her off, "What have you done? Why?"

"_Now that is a silly question, I think you know the answer. They got what they had coming to them."_

Through his teeth he ground out, "What do you want?"

"_I think the answer is more easily answered with what I don't want."_

"Are you going to answer or am I going to have to ask you as you are dying?"

"_World Peace… I hate peace, I hate life, I hate the thought of you existing. If you think you can stop me now, while I inhabit the one you… love, then come to me. I will show you what it means to suffer." _

The click of the receiver singled to Squall that the caller hung up. Paling face, he lowered the handset back to the cradle, as his eyes met those of the doctor. A crash through the infirmary door didn't faze the devastated Commander.

The newcomer muttered into his phone, "Okay, got it," Quickly closing his phone, Seifer asked frantically, "Squall! What the fuck happened?"

Turning to his security officer, Squall slowly raised his eyes to the blue-green eyes, "We have a problem Seifer." Leaning over to block his view of the back of the medical bay, Squall asked firmly, "Did you get the trace?"

Blinking, Seifer's eyes lowered to the doctor wrapping Squall's hand carefully in a bandage and immobilizer, "Uh," Clearing his throat, he blinked again, "Uh, yeah, we got it."

Seeing his security officer distractedly trying to see down the hall and noticing the feet of their friends, Squall raised his voice, "Seifer! Where was the call made from?"

"Uh, it was in the area around the orphanage." With age, came a sense of calm in Edea's former knight. It wasn't very often that he got worked up anymore, but he seemed extremely agitated.

"I guess you've heard?" Squall asked solemnly. Visibly swallowing, Seifer just nodded minutely. Squall placed his other hand on his companion's shoulder and whispered, "Now is not the time to lose it, remember your training, okay." Seifer blinked and his face shifted from one of grief and sadness to all business, "Okay, gather up all the upper classmen to take over classes and assemble the licensed SeeD's in the quad. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Without a word, Seifer nodded and left. Having found a place here in Garden, the former enemy of SeeD now did his job better than anyone else could. When Squall put him in charge of Garden security, many balked, but Squall wanted to hold out hope that the man was redeemable and it seems that the Commander was right after all.

Knowing that Squall would refuse an x-ray, the doctor finished with his hand and wrist and searched the cabinet for a cure. The Commander had stopped carrying spells for the simple reason that he had Rinoa, the sorceress had magic flowing in her veins. It wasn't necessary for him to have any unless he was taking trainees out on a training mission, or going out on a mission himself.

This was a fear they all hoped wouldn't happen, they had held on to the hope that Rinoa was strong enough to fight Ultimecia from taking over, but apparently they'd underestimated the evil sorceress from the future.

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><p>AN: Thanks to all of you who read, favorite, subscribed and/or reviewed, I appreciate your time and I dedicate all of this to you. To quote another author, "Getting reviews makes me feel all warm and squishy."

Please send me your reviews. It is really easy. Just click your arrow in the little box, write what you thought or felt about the chapter and then click right down there, just below the box. A little lower… a little to the right… yeah, right there! Click it! *grinning*


	2. New Assignments

Disclaimer: I do not now or before and most likely not in the future, own Final Fantasy, Square Enix or any of the characters.

A/N: This chapter is quite a bit different from the first chapter. For now, each chapter will be alternating between worlds, this chapter is in the FFVII world and the next one will be in the FFVIII world. The FFVII world is different from canon; ages and rank will be different. I'm not sure exactly how it is supposed to be from the game, so I came up with the below ranking.

The ranks as I have them for this story, from lowest rank to highest:  
>The lowest level is the infantry troops<br>Soldier cadets (are in the process of trying to pass the tests to make it in as a Soldier trainee)  
>Soldier trainees (they have passed the Soldier exams but are working on making it to Soldier Third, they have also started receiving mako injections)<br>Soldier Thirds  
>Soldier Seconds<br>Soldier Firsts.

Cloud is a trainee, Zack is a Second and Angeal, Genesis and Seph are Firsts.

I put a poll up on my profile, please take some time and vote!

Reviews, critiques, and flames are welcome. I absolutely love all reviews about the story as it gives me motivation, I utilize good constructive criticism to help my writing and I feed the flames to the fires of my imagination!

Big thanks to my awesome beta **SubZeroChimera**!

* * *

><p>"It is the surmounting of difficulties that make heroes." –Louis Kossuth<p>

**Binary Fusion**

Chapter 2

~New Assignments~

_There were days when the Soldiers stayed ready for battle, just like now. Genesis, Sephiroth and Angeal were as close as brothers could be, then with the added student that Angeal took everywhere with him, Second Class Soldier Zack Fair, they were unbeatable. _

_However, rumors floated around that there was a new weapon in a new land, once conquered by a more advanced society and then abandoned, left to be destroyed by the collapse of their own greediness and corrupt motives. To the three First Class Soldiers, it was a new war zone left for them to stretch their mako enhanced muscles; but that was just rumors that remained…_

Just outside of the Temple of the Ancients, an army of three thousand troops camped that morning, fifty Soldier cadets, ten Soldier trainees, twenty Soldier Thirds and fifteen Soldier Seconds, along with all three of the legendary Soldier Firsts. They were on the trail of the source of the monster attacks. The group was close, they had narrowed it down and now readied a head-on assault. While the trio of Firsts worked out a plan of attack in the General's tent, the other Soldiers and infantry were left to their own devices.

Zack begged, "Come on Cloud… -Just let me do it my way!"

With a groan, the newest Soldier trainee answered the boisterous black-haired Second Class, "Fine, just do it quick. Last time it hurt too much when you did it slowly."

From behind his younger friend, Zack put a gentle hand on the blonde's bare shoulder and cooed closer to Cloud's ear, "I like to go slow, that way I don't hurt myself. Okay, just be still, I'll be as quick as I can," Taking a deep breath, the older male announced, "Here goes nothing."

"Ouch! Damn it Zack!"

"Oh Yeah!"

With a hitch in his breath, Cloud moaned, "Does it have to hurt so much every time?"

"Quit whining, it isn't that bad."

"Easy for you to say, it isn't _in_ you!"

With an impatient sigh, Zack reassured, "If you clench up, it'll hurt more."

"Oww!"

Distractedly, Zack tried to console his younger friend by rubbing the fair skin on his back gently, "Seriously buddy, relax!"

"I'm trying… just hurry up already."

"Geez, I need more practice than I thought," With a short pause Zack snapped, "Quit wiggling, or it's going to fall out and I'll have to start all over!"

Speaking through his teeth, the blond ground out, "I get to do it to you next time, then you will know what it feels like!"

With a grunt, Zack lowered his voice a little, "Angeal does this to me all the time; it really isn't as bad as you're letting on."

"But it is so freakin big!"

"Oh, it's not that big you giant cry baby. I'm almost done."

With a whine, Cloud's breathed in harshly, "You're enjoying this a little to much-"

With a smooth move, Angeal moved the flap to the tent out of his way, "What is going on in here!" Both younger men froze in place and looked to the legendary First. The impressive man at the entrance to the tent held one of his hands over his eyes while he spoke, "Everyone has gotten ready for the briefing, but they are at a standstill hearing your... umm, conversation."

Glancing out behind the larger man, about twenty men stood around, some were giggling, but the General stood motionless, with a look of surprise and whispering in his ear was Genesis. The smile that the red Commander wore spoke of his amusement at the situation.

Cloud glanced over his bare shoulder to his dark-haired friend, and then back at the third-in-command and asked as he attempted to stand and salute, "Sir?!"

Peaking slowly, Angeal saw Zack, straddling a bench next to the younger blond, holding a syringe in his lax fingers. With a laugh, the fun-loving Second dropped his hand from the syringe, leaving it hanging from the pale skin of the arm of the squirming trainee.

Angeal's surprised voice squeaked, "Zack?"

Seeing the widened eyes of his blond friend, staring at the large syringe still in his arm, Zack burst out laughing again. Once he was able to breathe again, he tried to explain, "I'm practicing for my field medic exam. That is the only thing that I am still missing for my promotion to First."

Sickly pale, Cloud absently tapped on Zack's chest, "Zack, could you-"

"There was that _and_ he still needed his field inoculations," Zack lifted his leg over the bench and walked over to his medic bag and lifted some papers from underneath.

"…Zack-" Catching himself on the cot, Cloud tried desperately to stay standing.

Reading from the papers, Zack rattled, "Here are the orders for his shots. He's never been exposed to a malboro so he needs these before we head out."

A shade darker than sage green, the blond trainee swayed, "…Zack, the syrin-"

Zack interrupted and slapped a hand on the back of his blond friend, "-I think that I am ready for my medic exam, thanks to my best buddy."

"-Zack-" With puffed cheeks, Cloud launched forward and threw up on the front of Angeal's uniform.

Now covered in the regurgitated remnants of the army issued powdered eggs, dried milk, freeze-dried bacon and overly dry bake-less biscuits, Angeal shook off what he could to the floor of the tent and commented after clearing his throat, "Zack, you might want to double-check what you might have forgotten."

Despite the grimace of disgust, Zack got his arms around the quickly fading trainee and lowered him to the ground as Cloud breathlessly said, "Syringe."

"Oh, geez, Spiky, sorry about that!"

A round of laughter was heard outside the tent as Angeal left to attend to his present vomit-covered problem and Zack removed the syringe and helped Cloud up to the bench, "Thanks for helping me buddy."

With his eyes rolling around in a threat of passing out, Cloud said as firmly as he could, "Never again."

Once Cloud was able to regain his composure, they made it over to the briefing area where Sephiroth was going over the mission parameters with the Soldier Seconds, Thirds and a select few of the Soldier trainees, "The recon missions in this area told of strange readings of unknown origin. The monster population was on the increase, but that was not the disturbing part. Commander Genesis will go over those reports."

Stepping up in front of the Soldiers who stood at attention, Genesis spared a glance to Zack who stood next to the blond trainee, "These readings coincide with not only the increased population, but the variety of new types of monsters that were either extinct or a new species all together."

A few men mumbled and Angeal held his hand up, "I know about the rumor that has gone around about an unexplored region, but please understand that we must find the source of these anomalous readings."

Some of the men shifted, despite being in the presence of the impressive Firsts. Sephiroth would have none of it though as he stepped in front of his two Commanders. Without a word, the General glared at each man who had shifted and murmured.

Walking slowly along of the front line of the Soldiers that now stood perfectly still, he didn't hear a single noise except for the heartbeats of his men. Rounding the first line, Sephiroth slowly walked between two of the lines, speaking as he looked each man in their eyes as he passed, "I will not tolerate panic, or cowardice, a rumor is a rumor. These monsters are nothing like we have faced before, but you will take your training seriously." Rounding to the third and last line, Sephiroth continued, "The men beside you are your comrades, brothers at arms and you will have each other's backs. If you leave your fellow Soldier behind to save your own ass, I will kill you myself."

From the very back, Sephiroth surveyed his men from behind and spoke again, "That being said, I will fight at your side, I will have your back as I trust that you have mine."

His unique eyes found the blond spikes of the newest trainee that Zack had taken under his tutelage, the boy was smaller than most of the others, but his heart was bigger than a dragon. The blond had potential, but it was still far in the future.

Then there was the matter of Angeal's apprentice, the boy was a prodigy at swordplay and tactics, of that Sephiroth had no doubt. It was his impulsiveness that he feared, but he felt that it could be reined in better, and because of that, he almost regretted the decision that he and his Commanders had made. He nodded to Genesis for him to continue.

The Red Commander stood up from his resting spot where he leaned against a tree, he shut his book and began to speak again, "Angeal and I will each take an attack force forward and the General will lead a smaller infiltration force. After we have assigned you and your men to either myself, Angeal or even the good General, retrieve your gear and report back to the deployment area."

Genesis then began calling out the Soldiers he'd been assigned, followed by Angeal. When Angeal finished his list, he added, "If your name was not called, you've been assigned to the General's team."

Zack stood in disbelief. When everyone got dismissed, Zack approached his mentor, "Angeal! What's the deal? I thought that me and Spike were going to be on your team?"

Turning to the entrance to the situation tent, Angeal didn't turn when he said, "Zack, calm down. Sephiroth simply wants to see you in action."

The blond stood behind Zack as he tried to ask, "Uh, excuse me-"

"But Angeal, I'm not ready for him to see me on the battlefield yet."

"Zack, you are ready, you said so yourself and this is part of it if you want that promotion to First."

"Um, what about me?"

Turning and looking at his friend, Zack took Cloud by his upper arm and pulled him in front of Angeal, showing him off like his was Zack's favorite plushy, "Yeah, what about Spiky here? Why does the General want him on his team?"

Crossing his arms, Angeal lifted a corner of his mouth in an amused smile, "Well, that is for the General to tell, not me. So why don't you go and ask him yourself?"

"I'll do that!" Zack pulled Cloud along by his arm with the blond protesting behind him, but Zack seemed to not hear any of it, "General, sir."

Rolling the regional map back up, Sephiroth busied himself getting ready for the mission, "Go ahead."

"Permission to speak freely sir?"

"Granted."

"Why is Cloud," Zack pushed Cloud close to the General's chest before he continued, "Assigned to your team? A smaller team means that you will be doing something more difficult which also means more dangerous, so why put him in danger?"

Incensed, Cloud burst out, "Zack!"

Ignoring the outburst from the younger boy, Sephiroth answered Zack, "I have contemplated taking on an apprentice of my own for several weeks and I wanted to see if Strife has it in him to be mine."

Both boys' mouths dropped and a stuttering that sounded like Morse code was coming from the blond while Zack's shocked look turned into a huge smile, "Wow! You hear that Spiky? The General wants to mentor you!" Wrapping the younger boy in a head-lock, he danced around dodging the various punches and kicks that the blond tried.

"I suggest that you both gather your gear because we leave in ten minutes."

Both snapping to attention, they answered in unison, "Yes sir!"

Running back to their respective tents, they both gathered their swords and packs. Angeal had gotten Zack a sword that very much looked and felt like the buster sword, but Zack named it Ragnarok. Cloud's Crystal Sword was a family heirloom that Cloud's mother had gotten from her father. Meeting back where Sephiroth stood, waiting, they were soon joined by four Thirds and three Seconds.

"Is this all we're taking? I thought we would have a few more," Zack asked curiously.

Quickly grabbing his sword, Sephiroth simply said, "Let's go."

Hopping in a transport truck, they headed away from the Temple and into the jungle surrounding it. They didn't speak, simply watching the dirt road behind the truck and the various wildlife victimized by the vicious onslaught from the new monster infestation.

Sephiroth spoke up after the driver announced the arrival to their destination, "When we get the signal, we will infiltrate the mako cave. That is where the scientists have narrowed down the strange readings and the radio signal."

One of the Thirds spoke up with a joke that only spoke of his nervousness, "I should have brought my radio so we could listen to some tunes while we're killing those fiends." Finished with a nervous snigger, he dropped his eyes to the bed of the truck.

"It is not that kind of radio signal, the scientists do not know what it is, but it seems that it is coming from this cave and it seems as though it is either calling these creatures or creating them." Sephiroth's eyes did not falter from their intensity, they spoke of his strength and power and the others in the truck drank it up, hoping to become stronger just by being in his presence.

Zack put his hand on Cloud's shoulder and spoke to his General, "You lead, and we will follow."

With the others in the truck nodding and confirming their similar feelings as Zack's, they filed out of the truck and hiked a mile to the mouth of the cave.

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks to everyone who reads, favorites, subscribes and/or reviews, I appreciate your time and I dedicate all of this to you. To quote another author, "Getting reviews makes me feel all warm and squishy."

Please send me your reviews if you want. It is really easy. Just click your arrow in the little box, write what you thought or felt about the chapter and then click right down there, just below the box. A little lower… a little to the right… yeah, right there! Click it! *grinning*


	3. Ah, To Be Young Again

Disclaimer: I do not now or before and most likely not in the future, own Final Fantasy, Square Enix or any of the characters.

A/N: Back to VIII world in this chapter.

Don't forget about the poll on my profile, please take some time and vote!

Reviews, critiques, and flames are welcome. I absolutely love all reviews about the story as it gives me motivation, I utilize good constructive criticism to help my writing and I feed the flames to the fires of my imagination!

**SubZeroChimera** isn't available to beta for a short time so I am going naked and beta-less for the time being. *frowny face*

* * *

><p>"Wisdom outweighs any wealth." -Sophocles<p>

**Binary Fusion**

Chapter 3

~Ah, To Be Young Again~

Wincing at the pain in his hand, Squall took a deep breath and glanced at the doctor before pushing his way through the infirmary doors. Although the cure potion healed his hand, it was still sore.

…_Attention, I repeat, all licensed SeeD members report to the quad immediately. This is not a drill. _

The sound of Xu's voice over the Garden intercom didn't stop him from blinking back his emotions. A steady stride of his legs took him further from his friend's bodies as he made his way to the quad, Seifer joined the Commander's side, silently, only the sounds of their footfalls echoed until they got to the main hallway.

It was a bustle of activity as students switched classes, faculty hurried them along and SeeDs made their way to Squall's destination. The Commander half expected his second-in-command to jump out of the cafeteria door and join his side just as Seifer had, but he bit back those rushing feelings of anger and sadness.

Pushing through the doors, Seifer held the door open and looked back at Squall, "Are you ready?"

Glancing up and meeting Seifer's face, he narrowed his eyes and asked with a scorpion sting, "How could anyone be ready for something like this?"

With a shudder, Seifer lowered his eyes, "That's not-"

"-I know what you meant." Squall crossed his arms and said quietly, "Sorry Seifer, I didn't mean to-"

"-I know you didn't mean to, let's just get on with it."

With a nod, Squall walked through the doors and a hush fell over the room, as the SeeDs quickly and quietly fell into formation. The Commander stood there, looking at each person before he began, he wanted to make sure that each of them knew he was there for them.

"I will begin by saying that exactly one hour ago, I received a call from the doctor to meet her in the infirmary where we discovered that our friends were dead, coldly and calculatedly killed. Later a call came in for me and it was Ultimecia. She is back somehow." Squall waited for the murmurs to die down and for Seifer to quit fidgeting next to him before he continued, "Security traced the call and it came from the orphanage area and we are going in to stop this before it escalates."

Xu interrupted, "Could it be a trap?"

"She knows that I would think it is a trap so we must plan accordingly," Looking over at Seifer, Squall said, "I will go ahead and scout out the area-"

"-Sir! As Head of Security I insist that I go as a scout!"

Squall bit back, "Seifer, don't question me." He hated being questioned anymore, and if Zell were here, he would have had to break up a fight between the martial artist and Seifer.

Xu added, "Sir, it isn't that he is questioning you, it's just that maybe you should stay with the Garden to coordinate the main attack."

Glaring at both Xu and Seifer, Squall continued pointedly to the other twenty-three SeeDs, "I will go and scout out the area and Seifer and Xu will lead the attack on my signal." Hushing the SeeDs with a raised hand, Squall swallowed hard and paused before he said slowly and meaningfully, "Quistis, Irvine, Selphie, Zell…" Pausing again, he almost choked when he said one last name, "Rinoa." Taking a deep breath, he looked back up and finished, "I will not allow this to go unpunished."

Busting through the door, one of the lower classmen held out a phone, "Commander Leonhart, Sir, you've an urgent phone call."

Taking the phone, Squall hated to do this again, what if it was Ultimecia with Rinoa's voice again. Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply as he then looked to Seifer to finish the briefing to the SeeDs. As Seifer started talking to the gathered formations, Squall answered, "This is Commander Leonhart."

"_Squall!"_

"Ellone, are you okay?"

"_Yes, but I must speak to you. It's very important."_

"Does it have anything to do with what's happened?"

"_Yes. I'll be there in the morning. Don't do anything until I get there okay?"_

"Okay sis," Hearing her voice comforted him, knowing that she was still alive, he hated that he hadn't thought of calling her to check on her. Before she hung up he said louder than necessary, "Sis, be careful."

"_I will."_

Leaving Xu to finish with the SeeDs, Seifer walked with Squall back to his office, "I suggest we contact Galbadia Garden and the newly re-established Trabia Garden. If it is Ultimecia again, then we will need all the help we can get."

"Yes, I had that in mind too, but I'm also calling my father. He has Doctor Odine and I'd like to see if he has any idea how this abomination of a sorceress is back." Flinging open his office door, it bounced off the wall and slammed closed.

Seifer looked at the hole in the wall that was well-worn, Squall had perfected the precise amount of force to hit the door to have it close without him having to close it himself. Above the Commanders head, above the desk, Lionheart, set in the display hooks on the wall. It glowed with the light blue that was ever impressive. Seifer wondered when the last time that Squall had actually used it in a battle.

The head of security thought back to his own weapon, Hyperion, as it set in his apartment, freshly cleaned from his workout in the training room the day before. He regretted not getting to work out with Squall anymore, it was the only time that he felt that he got an adequate workout, but it had been years since they'd really sparred.

"Seifer, I need you to call Fujin and Rajin at Galbadia Garden and see what their situation is and if the SeeDs there are available. The two of them could be targets too, and I don't want any more deaths."

"Yes sir."

"And Seifer, you be careful too."

With a slight smile, Seifer nodded his head, "Yes, sir."

As he made his way to his office, Seifer worried that if Squall were to go in and scout out the orphanage, if he were caught in a battle, would he be able to hold off an attack? While the commander was well versed in the art of battle and was able to teach it, it had been quite a while since he was able to really stretch his muscles in an actual fight.

In that particular instance, Seifer kicked himself for not insisting on Squall taking breaks from his deskwork and spar with him. After his phone calls, he decided to play on some of his old tricks and get the Commander in the sparring ring. After all, he had his own demons to purge from the events of today.

* * *

><p>"Squall, you have to go back in time."<p>

Ellone sat across from him, his desk separating them. Incredulously, he stared her down, "What we did before only worked because we had Rinoa." Lacing his fingers, he asked, "How do you propose we do this with only you?"

"Squall, remember that we still have Edea, perhaps she still has it in her to do one last spell."

"Sis, I don't think you know. Edea is too old to do this kind of thing anymore, not to mention, when she gave up the powers to Rinoa, she is no longer a sorceress."

"I'm sorry for your loss Squall, but please just try," Ellone's eyes watered, "If you do this without your friends, you will fail and all will be lost."

* * *

><p>The clashing of steel, sparks flew as sweat dripped from the brows of both men. Squall's plain white t-shirt stuck to his body as the humid climate in the training center rose to near stifling levels. Holding his stance, staring at the blond with the matching scar across from him, determination danced in his eyes as they battled.<p>

For once, Squall felt alive, he felt as though it were a long-awaited dream that set him apart from the rest. His heart beat wildly as his body worked in ways that he'd long forgotten how it really felt. He was going to have to do something that he didn't think was possible, but it meant that everything would change. They would go back to their lives, after the defeat of Ultimecia and before their lives that they'd carved out for themselves, before their families.

Grunting from exertion, Seifer wondered how Squall was able to physically keep up with him, but he asked as Squall pushed him back and swung out leaving a trail of light, a trick of the eye, "So will we remember everything up till now?"

Running and slashing down, Squall grimaced at the loud clang of the two swords as they met, "Ellone doesn't know."

"We've got to do something," Turning in a graceful turn, Seifer added a swirl of his sword as a distraction so he could conjure up a flash of ice magic, "Ellone hasn't been wrong yet, and your father gave us permission to use the facilities in Esthar."

Blocking the ice ball, Squall summoned a level one fire to counter Seifer's attack, "Then it's settled."

The next day, Squall, Seifer and Ellone found themselves in front of the President of Esthar, "Doctor Odine assures me that this is possible regardless of Edea's inability as a sorceress." Rising slowly, the older man limped over to the bookcase, "He gave me this book and it says that even though she isn't a sorceress anymore, she still can hold the powers of one because she was one at one time."

Laguna's salt and pepper hair lay in a mess on his head, and Squall wondered if it was naturally that way, or if he worked to get it to look that disheveled. Handing the book to Squall, Laguna spoke again, "Son, listen to me, if she is back, then she needs to be stopped and this is your best bet."

"Don't you think I know she needs to be stopped?!"

"Squall, listen to me," Ellone placed her hand on his, "He doesn't mean anything by that, he just wants you safe."

Standing up, Squall paced as Doctor Odine walked in, "Will we remember what we know now?"

"Iz very pozzible for you and Zeifer, but the otherz, it iz not known zince zey are dead," Stepping to the President's side, the doctor added, "You can azk zem when you zee zem again."

Meeting gazes with Seifer, Squall said with determination, "Let's do it and get rid of her once and for all."

The next day, Seifer and Squall found themselves standing outside the Centra Ruins. Seifer paced restlessly with his gunblade in hand as Squall sharpened his blade calmly. Wiping some sweat from his brow, Seifer asked, "How can you be so calm right now?"

"There really is no reason to not be."

"We are about to see everyone again," Seifer sat down on the box holding their friend's weapons, "I'm seriously anxious about seeing chicken-wuss again," Lowering his voice, Seifer mumbled, "Never would've thought I'd say that."

Behind them, Garden waited, full of SeeDs from Balamb, Galbadia and Trabia and it stood silently waiting for the signal to attack the long abandoned orphanage. Neither man knew how it would work, according to Ellone, the spell that she and Edea would use would just effect their group, Squall, Seifer, Selphie, Quistis, Irvine and Zell.

Seifer chuckled, "I guess this is like the fountain of youth? We'll become younger and they'll be less dead?"

"I suppose. I don't really understand it myself, but if Doctor Odine, Ellone and Edea are confident, then I don't see why I need to question it."

Tapping the tip of Hyperion on the toe of his boot, Seifer asked, "When are we supposed to start?"

"Anytime now," The background began to fade and Squall shouted, "Seifer, get over here!"

Grabbing Seifer's hand as instructed, Squall rolled his eyes when Seifer protested, "Why the hell do we have to hold hands?"

"I don't know, but look," Squall pointed toward the Ruins and as they faded into a blank spot, there were figures that appeared, "Is that them?"

Squinting his eyes, Seifer quietly said, "I think so." Looking at each other briefly, the blond said quizzically to Squall, "You look younger too."

Glancing quickly to his hands, his skin looked to tighten, a sign of youth. Looking back up at the sight before him, a weight lifted on Squall's heart when he recognized the noticeable hat that belonged to the cowboy and the long purposeful strides belonging to Quistis. Selphie's smaller frame came into sight and her smile shone brightly as she asked, "I guess we're all together because we beat her?"

Zell bounced in place and he threw a few punches as he said, "Hell yeah! We rock!" Noticing Seifer standing next to Squall, Zell flipped over and pushed his way between them, "Seifer! What are you doing here?"

"I missed you too," Without missing a beat, Seifer added, "Chicken-wuss."

Quistis came up to Squall and asked, "What's wrong Squall?"

"Zell, its okay," As their four friends gathered around, Squall knew that they didn't remember anything having to do with their lives after their final battle with Ultimecia. The SeeD Commander said solemnly as the Centra Ruins came back into view, "We have a lot to talk about."

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks to everyone who reads, favorites, subscribes and/or reviews, I appreciate your time and I dedicate all of this to you. To quote another author, "Getting reviews makes me feel all warm and squishy."

Please send me your reviews if you want. It is really easy. Just click your arrow in the little box, write what you thought or felt about the chapter and then click right down there, just below the box. A little lower… a little to the right… yeah, right there! Click it! *grinning*


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